March 2003: Participants at the 3rd World Water Forum met in 351 sessions organized around 33 themes and five Regional Days. Theme issues encompassed a range of topics including: supply, sanitation, hygiene and water pollution; cities; governance; floods; integrated water resources management; peace; agriculture and food; poverty; financing water infrastructure; and dams and sustainable development.

In many sessions, delegates debated the human right to water, and financing water infrastructure, with no agreement on either matter. The Forum concluded on Sunday, 23 March, following issue of a preliminary Summary Forum Statement. On Saturday, 22 March, and Sunday, 23 March, delegates to the Ministerial Conference discussed five themes in sub-groups: safe drinking water and sanitation; water for food and development; water pollution prevention and ecosystem conservation; disaster mitigation and risk management; and water resources management and benefit sharing. The Conference closed on Sunday following adoption of a Ministerial Declaration and a Portfolio of Water Actions.

Preliminary Summary Forum Statement: This statement commits participants to meeting the goals and targets identified in the Millennium Declaration, the International Freshwater Conference in Bonn and the WSSD. It notes that freshwater is a precious and finite resource that is central to sustainable development, economic growth, social stability and poverty alleviation. It identifies key water issues including safe and clean water for all, governance, capacity building, financing, participation, regional priorities, global awareness, political support and local action.

In relation to partnerships, participation and dialogue, the Preliminary Forum Statement calls for the empowerment and involvement of local people, local authorities, the research community, farmers, industry, women and minority groups in the development of basin and aquifer strategies, agreements and institutions. It emphasizes the need for stakeholder representatives and local authorities to be given a permanent and official role in decision making and implementation, and the inclusion of community knowledge, practices and rights in water management.

With regard to nature and ecosystems, it recommends: protecting and restoring ecosystems and aquifers; implementing environmental flows; developing multistakeholder approaches; integrating land, mountain, forest and water resources management; developing basin-wide pollution prevention and treatment plans; creating innovative financing and legal frameworks; and prioritizing water-demand management.

On financing and investment it recommends that governments translate water laws, strategies and plans into realistic budget estimates and financing plans for water in all WEHAB sectors. It suggests that governments and local authorities take adequate measures to reduce risk and improve cost recovery, and stresses that the primary responsibility for such investments rests with national governments. It encourages governments and donors to give particular attention to pro-poor, affordable and appropriate technologies in their investment strategies.

Noting the need to prioritize water issues in policy and strategic planning, the Statement underscores the importance of preparing IWRM plans by 2005 in accordance with the WSSD’s outcomes. It also encourages national and local governments to develop and implement basin-wide pollution treatment and prevention plans, and adopt financial, legal and institutional incentives for pollution prevention. Underscoring the need to adopt strategies that mitigate effects of climate variability and natural hazards, it recommends the development of comprehensive and integrated flood and drought management policies. It notes the importance of considering appropriate targets for the productive use of water through increasing food production, and of achieving targets for decreasing malnourishment and rural poverty.

With regard to institutions and legislation, the Preliminary Summary Forum Statement recommends that governments start or continue reforms of public water institutions, and emphasizes good governance, cost-efficiency, transparency and accountability, stakeholder participation and public-private partnerships.

Ministerial Recommendation on Water for Food and Agriculture: This Recommendation, which was negotiated by senior officials on 20 March, identifies food security and poverty alleviation, sustainable water use and partnerships as key challenges for the agricultural sector. It outlines a plan of action, including commitments to: modernize and improve agricultural water use; increase water productivity; promote better governance; consider environmental aspects; undertake research and development; and foster international cooperation.

Ministerial Declaration: The Declaration takes note of the thematic and regional statements and recommendations from the Forum and declares that water is a driving force for sustainable development. With regard to general policies, it emphasizes that Ministers should ensure good governance with a stronger focus on community-based approaches addressing equity, mobilize private and public financing, promote IWRM, and identify and develop PPPs, while ensuring the necessary public control and legal frameworks to protect public interests. It affirms that Ministers are committed, in the long term, to fortify capacity with assistance from the international community.
Regarding water resources management and benefit sharing, Ministers encourage riparian States to promote cooperation on transboundary and boundary watercourses, and to recognize hydropower as a renewable, clean energy source. The Declaration states that Ministers will assist developing countries with the aim of developing IWRM and water efficiency plans by 2005, encourage scientific research on the global water cycle, promote demand management measures, and endeavor to develop and deploy non-conventional water resources.

On safe drinking water and sanitation, the Declaration notes that basic hygiene practices should be encouraged and efforts to promote technical breakthroughs related to the provision of safe drinking water and basic sanitation should be intensified. It calls on Ministers in all countries to develop strategies to halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and the proportion without access to basic sanitation by 2015.

Regarding water for food and rural development, the Declaration stipulates that every effort should be made to reduce unsustainable water management and improve the efficiency of agricultural water use, and that freshwater fish production should be addressed through intensified efforts to improve riverine water quality and quantity. It encourages international cooperation and investment, research and development for the progressive improvement of agricultural water management, and the promotion of community-based development.
On water pollution prevention and ecosystem conservation, the Declaration recognizes the need to intensify water pollution prevention, and to protect and use in a sustainable manner ecosystems that naturally capture, filter, store and release water. It urges countries to establish and review appropriate legislative frameworks for the protection and sustainable use of water resources and for water pollution prevention, and to concentrate efforts to combat deforestation, desertification and land degradation.

On disaster mitigation and risk management, the Declaration notes the need for a comprehensive approach to mitigate the growing severity of floods and droughts, and says Ministers will enhance where appropriate the sharing and exchange of data, information, knowledge and experiences at the international level.

The Sustainable Developments report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/linkages/sd/3wwf/.